The Orb of Janus (or That Ball Thingy)
by Duchess67
Summary: Xander Harris discovers Ancient technology and John Sheppard learns there's more to the universe than even he's learned lately.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer OR Stargate Atlantis or any other show mentioned in this ficlet. Please don't sue, my most cherished possession is my dog. You can have the stupid cat if you want though, darn poop factory that he is. LOL

Author's note: This first snippet is a Xander's real family bit, but don't expect me to follow up on it, this is all the muse has given me in over three years, I just wanted it out of my head and typed up so maybe it would either go away or just possibly inspire more. I'm not sure which really. *chuckle*

After dispatching the last demon, Xander took a good look around its cave/lair. "Remember what Giles said, nobody touch anything! Man can this get any weirder? What IS all this crap?" He reached out with his blade to shift some of the metal gadgets with strange writing on them, careful not to touch them with his bare hands.

"Hey, Xander, take a look at this!"

Turning quickly, the one eyed Watcher unthinkingly reached out to snag in his free hand what was coming toward him from his newly arrived American slayer. The one who really had problems following orders and as he caught the silver-blue ball it started to glow. He groaned, "This is NOT good!"

In a bright flash of light, he vanished, causing consternation and chaos among his slayers. Yelling and accusations flew, tears flowed and eventually they got out to the vehicle where the sat-phone was kept and headquarters was informed.

Lacey was forced to run all the way back to the African compound behind their vehicle, it was only the beginning of her punishment.

Xander reappeared in the same cave, but with a huge difference, all the demons he and his girls had just slayed were very much alive. With a yipe of fear he jumped back to avoid an edged weapon slicing his head off, but took it across the chest instead.

Amazingly, he didn't lose his hold on the strange ball in his left hand, instinctively knowing it was his key to getting back to his family. As if the merest flicker of thought activated it, another bright flash occurred and he was suddenly in what looked like a cafeteria, in a weirdly designed place. Kinda futuristic and kinda retro Doctor Who, he decided. Just before a really tall man with serious dreads stood up and shot him with a freaking blaster right out of Star Wars. Xander hit the floor, unconscious, losing his grip on both the ball and his demon slimed machete.

John Sheppard jumped to his feet and spun around to see what Ronon had just shot at and yelled for a medical team.

Seeing the man was bleeding from a shallow knife slash across his chest as well as other cuts and scrapes and was still breathing, he realized Ronon had the blaster on stun and was thankful. He really wanted answers to all the questions this guy's sudden appearance raised.

An hour later, they were hearing Rodney go on and on about the piece of Ancient tech the stranger had brought with him, how it was nearly as powerful as a ZPM somehow, but he didn't know what's its power source was. When he started to go into technobabble mode, John tuned him out.

Jennifer came in a little bit later to report on their uninvited guest. "You're not going to believe this, but I ran the test over and over to be sure." She turned to Sheppard, "Colonel, whoever he is, that man in there is your half brother."

John's eyebrows rose up into his hairline.


	2. What Happens Next

What happens next

This one is a continuation of the first chapter. I hadn't planned on doing more, but it came to me and I hope you all like it.

"I'm what now?" The young man had been moved from the infirmary to a very nice room with a spectacular view of the ocean.

The look of consternation on their guest's face didn't look faked to John.

"Yeah, that was pretty much MY reaction too. I mean, how would any brother of mine get from Earth to here?" Sheppard asked.

"That brings up another question for me," the younger man continues, ignoring that fact for the moment. "Where the hell am I and how did I end up on the set of what looks like a really high budget Dr. Who episode? And why did some really big guy with dreads shoot me with a frickin' blaster right outta science fiction land?" He looks irked by that part.

John offers diplomatically, "Well you DID arrive behind me with a machete in your hand. Ronon was only protecting his senior officer and friend."

Nodding and shrugging now, "Okay, I'll give you that one, but how did I get here?" His eyes widen and he snaps his fingers, "That BALL thingy! Where is it? I've gotta get home! The girls are probably all going nuts, they may even kill Lacey for throwing it to me, or at least put her in the infirmary. Let's not even THINK about what Ibuin will do!"

He shakes his head, as if to rid it of those thoughts, "I have to have that thing back because I'm sure it was how I got here in the first place. No offense, Sheppard, but I'll look you up when I'm back where I belong and that's not here. I've got work to do back on Earth and can't stay. We have an apocalypse to avert and it's not even May yet. Usually the big ones don't happen until then, nobody really knows why. It's like Dawn always getting kidnapped on Tuesdays, tradition or something."

Sheppard realizes how most of his team's problems seem to happen or at least start on Fridays and starts to comment on that, but is interrupted by Woolsey.

"I'm afraid that 'ball thingy' as you so eloquently put it, is being studied by our scientists and you can't have it back. It's Ancient technology and can't be left in the hands of unqualified civilians."

The superior tone is definitely there and look, the nose is even in the air. There are times when John thinks it must be encoded into the man's DNA to be such a condescending ass some days and today is, unfortunately, one of them. He winces at that little speech and isn't surprised when his brother (amazingly easy to believe, especially right now when a familiar look of anger starts to reshape the facial features) bristles at the words and tone.

"You don't seem to understand, Mr. Woolsey, I'm not from YOUR Earth or YOUR universe. I'm pretty damn sure I jumped dimensions at the very least before I jumped planets. Something about some- People being where I jumped to FIRST that I knew for a fact were all dead in MY universe. So I'll thank you to give me ALL of my possessions back and let me go, BEFORE things get bad."

The young man said that last part with quite a bit of menace, John thought and the eye patch helped a lot with his glare. Sheppard rated it up there with some of the best he'd seen, especially since the guy had been joking and goofing off just a few minutes before this conversation had gone to hell. Maybe he'd better try to step in and smooth things over, "Okay, truce," he holds up his hands and steps between them.

Sparkling green light appears behind the one eyed man and a dark skinned, black hair and eyed, smiling, woman coalesces out of it. Laughingly she asks, "Oh my husband, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

Turning around with surprise, Xander throws himself into her arms and kisses her intently, backing her against a wall.

John knows he shouldn't take his eyes off this scene, but is embarrassed and feels like a voyeur.

Woolsey clears his throat self importantly and John quickly glares at him for it before turning back to the kissing couple.

Pulling back from his wife just enough to talk, Xander smiles and says, "You found me. I was afraid that I was so far away you couldn't this time. And that officious little toad over there took my amulet."

John smirked at the glare sent Woolsey's way for that transgression, but quickly hides it when the man looks to him for protection.

Both Lanteans gasp, however, when the woman holds up her hand and the amulet appears, lying across her palm in a green glow.

Laughing again, the woman puts the amulet around her husband's neck once more and he sighs in contentment before turning back to the other men in the room.

"Okay, John was it? It was really nice meeting you and I hope there's one just like you on MY Earth, but my ride is here and I'm ready to go home. Don't get your hopes up about finding me on your Earth, I might never have been born. I'm going looking for you, first chance I get though."

Turning to Woolsey, "Dick, not so nice meeting you and I WILL be taking everything with me that I came with and no, I'm not asking permission." He turns back to his wife, "Oh yeah, Ibuin, this is my alternate reality brother, John Sheppard. John, this is my wife, Ibuin. She's a minor goddess, from Africa. It pays not to tick her off," that is said with a smirk.

Cocking his head to one side, "Good to know," he smiles, a little wistfully, at losing the opportunity to get to know this man, his little brother, better. "It's nice to meet you, Ibuin." Wait, did he really say, Goddess?

Ibuin laughs, "A brother, eh? I'll have to help you find him on our world, my love. He looks and feels like someone worth getting to know." She smiles approvingly at the Colonel.

John isn't sure what to make of that last statement OR the look directed his way.

"Honey, if you don't mind, I had my favorite machete, my yellow shirt and tan pants, my lucky socks and the demon stomping boots. Oh yeah," he turns and glares one last time at Richard. "A silver-ish orb with funny writing on it in blue, though that shouldn't be touched with the hands. It's what brought me here in the first place and HE took it away from me."

The woman summons a bag from out of nowhere and suddenly there's a round shape in it, then more things make the thing bulge a bit. She turns to look at the fastidious little man, "Mr. Woolsey, I'd suggest you not steal from or try to keep inadvertent travelers against their will in the future, it might be frowned upon by those that love them. Be thankful that you helped tend my husband's wounds when he arrived or I would be VERY displeased." Ibuin said with a sniff and suddenly there was a hairless cat standing there, shivering and frightened.

With a loud growl/wail, it ran from the room, into the bathroom, the only door that would open for it.

John is shocked, to say the least and then he gets upset. "How did you-? Turn him back! I may not like him very much, but he IS the leader of this expedition and we were just starting to break him out of the worst of his ass moments. We can't have him be a cat. I can't report he's been turned INTO a cat or they'll relieve me of command and put me in a straight jacket." He looks horrified, "The next person they send to replace him could be ten times worse and untrainable!" He looks truly horrified at this prospect.

Xander snickers, "Don't panic, it's not permanent. Ibuin doesn't do permanent curses, she just teaches lessons. By sundown he'll be back to normal and hopefully, with a bit of an attitude adjustment. It really was nice meeting you, bro. Maybe next time I'll have a chance to get to know you better. Oh and my name is Xander, Alexander Harris. In MY world, I'm over in Africa right now, training a bunch of unruly young hooligans to fight to good fight. Try not to give my name to the idiots in charge, would you? I'd hate for an alternate me to have to deal with him. I might not be so forgiving in this universe."

John smiled, dazedly, "Okay."

The unusual couple disappears the same way the woman appeared in the first place and Sheppard wanders over to a wall, leans up against it and slides down. No one would believe this report. He starts thinking of ways to creatively write the report that won't get him a section eight and absently pets the cat that crawls pitifully into his lap.


	3. Trouble With a Capital T

Trouble with a capital T

A strangely familiar flash of light in the corner of John Sheppard's eye draws his startled gaze to a small child standing in the middle of his quarters, holding a very familiar sphere in her tiny hands and looking miserable.

"Hello," he says in his most friendly voice, trying not to scare the child.

"Hello," she parroted back to him. Gulping obviously, she then asks, "Are you Colonel John Sheppard?"

"Yes, I am. Did Xander send you?" He nods at the sphere still in her hands.

"Oh!" As if her attention was once again called to the object, she quickly puts the silverish orb on the floor and pulls a bag out of a belt loop of her jeans, opening the bag and scooping the thing up into it before taking off her backpack. She then takes a letter out of said backpack and holds it out, along with the bag, "I'm sorry, Papa told me to give you this when I found you and this too, so that I do not try to go home too soon. I promised him I would obey and I keep my promises, Uncle John. Papa told me to be a very good girl for you while I'm here and he and Mama will come for me as soon as it is safe again."

Eyebrow raised in surprise, John takes the letter, but doesn't read it yet. "What's your name, kid?"

Blushing with embarrassment, the girl looks at the floor and says, "Atiya, it means gift. Papa and Mama say I was a gift sent from Heaven and they gave me a name to fit."

"Well, Atiya, I think that's one of the prettiest names I've ever heard. Just to be clear, is Xander your Papa?"

The child nods quickly, but says nothing else.

"All right then," John stifles a sigh, not wanting the already obviously uphappy girl any more upset. "Let's just see what your Papa wrote in this letter, okay?"

Opening it, he read…  
_Dear John,  
That doesn't look right at all, man. Anyway, I'm sending our most precious thing in the world to you for safety, our daughter, Atiya._

_If anything should happen to us during this apocalypse, (this one is a potentially world ending, again) we've decided we'd like you to watch over her. We've done some checking up on you since we saw you last and KNOW you're a good man. Please keep Atiya safe and if all works out, we'll be there before the week is out to pick her up again._

_Remind Dick to behave himself, all right? Your niece is a special girl, but she is NOT to be experimented on or hurt in any way and if she so much as tells us he hurt her feelings, I cannot guarantee Ibuin will be able to restrain herself from a more drastic form of a lesson than last time. I have to admit, I'D be giving him a "lesson" or two of my own._

_Keep her with you in Atlantis, please, as sending her to Earth away from you is NOT what we need right now. She'll be safer in your floating city, for reasons we can't go into at the moment, but do NOT send her to Earth or allow her to be sent there. I can't stress that enough!_

_Keep the Orb of Janus in a safe place only YOU know about, it can get you two to safety if your own people try to force you to go against our wishes. Maybe you could take refuge with some of your Pegasus Galaxy friends if necessary. Wherever you are, we will find you both._

_Oh and don't try to lie to Atiya, or sugar coat what is written in this letter. She's only 6, but she knows the score, having lived through several minor (less than world ending) events in the past few years. We rescued her from really nasty slavers who were monsters, REAL monsters, dealing in very young girls who are special in an unusual way. If she chooses to tell you her secret, make sure you don't betray her trust, all right?_

_If we don't come for her within two weeks, it would be safe to assume our Earth is gone and you need to keep Atiya from ever getting her hands on that Orb again. If she tried to use it, she'd just get eaten alive and I MEAN that literally, bro. Take care of my baby girl for me, all right? I'm counting on you man._

_Xander and Ibuin_

John gulped and looked down once more at the face of the little girl. Tears are now pouring down her cheeks and his heart melts at the sight. Dropping to one knee, he opens his arms and she rushes into them, sobbing her heart out and holding onto him for dear life.

"Hey, your Papa and Mama struck me as really tough customers, I'm sure they'll be fine." He pats her on the back, uncomfortably aware that he really doesn't know enough about children to deal with this, but he's being trusted with her and he'll do his best.


	4. Adventures in Babysitting

Adventures in babysitting

A few days later…  
Coming back to his temporary quarters, much bigger ones with a separate room for a six year girl, John Sheppard is greeted enthusiastically by his niece.

Throwing down her child sized bantos sticks, Atiya runs and jumps into the man's arms, "Uncle John!"

John drops his bag and catches his niece, "Whoa!" It takes him a moment to get his breath back and he leans against the doorjamb briefly before laughing a little. "I'm getting the impression you missed me and I was only gone for a few of hours."

Teyla scoops up the discarded practice weapons with a laugh, "Apparently that was too long, though Atiya did learn a lot today. She is a very quick study, which makes me wonder where she got that from, as her uncle seems to still be having a hard time with the basics even after all these years under my tutelage."

Making a face at his friend over the little girl's shoulder, John hugs the kid tighter for a moment before stepping fully into the room and sitting down on a chair with her. "Hey Munchkin, you're being awfully quiet. What's up?"

Now it's Teyla's turn to make an exasperated face at him, which he ignores as his attention is focused on the child in his arms, still clinging to him like a lifeline. Suddenly it dawns on him what the problem is, "Oh, hey, honey." He pulls her back from himself long enough to look her in the face, tilting up her chin with the fingertips of one hand, "I promised you I'd come back and I did. I wasn't gone long and the people I went to see were our allies, so I was in no danger. I am not about to take a dangerous mission while I have you here. Besides, didn't you have fun with Teyla, learning how to fight with bantos sticks?"

Atiya gave a grudging nod, "I did, but it's not the same as being with you."

Knowing the child has an overprotective streak a mile wide, he tells her, "Atiya, everything was fine. If I'd gone on one of the dangerous missions, I'd have needed to take Teyla with me because she's the best at guarding my back, but Ronon is pretty darn good too. I DID take him with me, just in case though. Doesn't that get me any brownie points?" He asks that last in a very plaintive tone.

Looking down again, the child's low muttering is barely heard, "If it was such an easy mission, why couldn't I go with you? It was because of Dickhead, wasn't it?"

Teyla gapes, trying not to laugh as that would send the wrong message to the child.

Briefly closing his eyes, John tries desperately not to laugh too before sighing and opening them again and trying to give his niece a disapproving look all at the same time. "We've talked about you calling him that, Atiya. Like it or not, he's the man in charge around here and I have to obey his orders. Not just his, the big wigs back on Earth are really mad AT Woolsey for taking OUR side and insisting you stay here with me instead of going back there."

"He only did that so Mama and Papa wouldn't hurt him if they come back for me." She looked stricken for a moment and then practically yelled, "WHEN! I meant _WHEN_!" Bursting into tears, the girl clung to her uncle even more and her unnatural strength came into play.

It was almost making breathing an issue and John was sure he'd have bruises later, but he ignored that for the moment as he held the girl and just made soothing noises.

Teyla grabbed her things and gave him a nod as she left quickly, knowing John would have his hands full for a while and only he could get through to the little girl when she was so upset. She hurried back to her own quarters where her mate Kanaan was caring for their two year old son, Torren in her absence.

Back inside John's quarters, the beleaguered man gets an idea that really should have occurred to him sooner. "Hey sweetie, if I tell Woolsey I need a few days off and can't go on any more missions at all for the rest of your visit, will that make you feel better?" He gets her to look him in the eye and sees a glimmer of hope there, making him smile. He touches the comm in his ear, "Sheppard here. Woolsey, I respectfully request a long weekend off. I need to spend it with my niece, show her some fun things to do here in the Pegasus Galaxy."

A brief pause before the sound of a throat being cleared is heard, "Very well, Colonel. I'd like you to fill out the proper paper work and turn it in, but that can always wait until tomorrow."

Atiya's happy shriek momentarily deafens both men, making John grin even as he winces in pain.

"Thank you, sir. I'll get that done first thing tomorrow morning. Right now, it's time to show this kid how we do R and R around here. Sheppard out." He removes the comm and tosses it on the table beside them.

"Let's have some fun, shall we," he asks with a smirk.

Clapping her hands with glee, Atiya agrees wholeheartedly.

About half an hour later, the door opens and two remote controlled cars come racing out, followed by the colonel and his niece. He's running and she's on his skateboard, doing stunts and still keeping up with the RC cars racing ahead on their way outside to one of the piers.

The next few days are spent doing various things around Atlantis; teaching Atiya how to play golf with some cobbled together clubs small enough for the child, (She hit better than her uncle, a fact which made observer Ronon laugh and John grimace, but not where the girl could see him) swimming on a beach on the mainland, building sandcastles and even flying a kite that John made for the girl, and fishing off the East Pier.

That last was a disaster, as far as Sheppard was concerned, but Atiya was thrilled. She caught a monster, a literal monster of a fish that not only didn't have a problem breathing air, it tried to attack them once John and Ronon helped the child get it up on the pier. Out of nowhere (or the backpack the girl _always_ wore on her back, John wasn't sure which) a short sword or a very large knife came out and the child _slaughtered_ the thing in a very messy fashion. Sheppard was further grossed out by the fact Atiya had no problem with Ronon's suggestion that they find out if it was edible.

Dripping bluish blood and other oddly colored fluids, the grinning child looked up at her beloved Uncle John, so very proud of her accomplishment that he didn't have the heart to show his true feelings about it, but told her how proud he was of her instead.

Ignoring the mess, Ronon picked the girl up and whirled her around, proclaiming her a great warrior and making her giggle her head off when both John and Rodney got "icky stuff" spattered on them.

Rodney had had a conniption until the marine biologists assured him the creatures couldn't "invade" the city on their own, nor did they frequent the waters of the mainland where the Atlantis residents would go for their recreation. Something about the water temperatures being too warm near land, but John quietly breathed a sigh of relief himself at that one, as did Teyla.

Looking at the clawed flipper bones and jawbone full of large, spiked teeth mounted on the wall of their quarters the next day, John had to admit it was quite the accomplishment for the girl and didn't begrudge her the trophies.


	5. Well THAT'S New

Well THAT'S new!

The Athosian survivors had made it their goal to help others who had lost their homes, having gone through that very same thing themselves several times in the past few years.

With that in mind, Halling travels to Atlantis with one of the co-leaders of the latest batch of refugees in order to pick out a new home for his misplaced people. The two leaders are to meet with Woolsey in order to learn of the choices available and make the decision.

Taking all of the precautions asked for by the IOA, the man with Halling travels to a neutral, uninhabited world where he is then blindfolded while the gate is dialed again and Halling pulls out his GDO, punching in the code in order to get into Atlantis without impacting the shield and dying.

The leader of Atlantis is there to greet the two men when they arrive, "Welcome back, Halling. It's good to see you again. Who is our guest?" He asked, holding out his hand to shake the newcomer's. His gesture is ignored and he awkwardly drops his to his side once more.

The man ignores Woolsey altogether, looking all around the place and sniffing loudly once as a look of fear crosses his face. Turning to Halling, he demands, "What trickery is this? I sense DEATH here!"

The Marines standing guard look alert, raising their weapons and aiming them at the possible threat.

Woolsey steps back in alarm as the "man" lunges for him.

The Marine with the best angle fires, with no effect on the target except blood spatter.

Woolsey is knocked out of the way completely by a small blur entering the room.

Atiya launches herself into the air toward the foe shrieking, "Vampire!"

The Marines stop firing, for fear of hitting the Colonel's niece.

Drawing her fourteen and a quarter inch V44 Bowie knife mid flight from the sheath between her shoulder blades and hidden by her backpack, the tiny slayer hacks off the hand the creature reaches out with to grab her, making it roar in pain.

The girl swings her knife back around to decapitate her prey with one swipe of her blade and the body falls to the floor long before the head hits, bouncing along a corridor off of the gateroom. She hits the floor on both feet and her free hand, whipping back around, just in case.

Woolsey stares at the obviously not human blood pumping vigorously from the neck and wrist of the body lying not far enough away from his current, nearly prone position and shakes his head with disbelief.

Ronon and John, along with a lot of Marines come running into the room, guns out, only to find the action all over with.

Staring with stunned incredulity, Halling shakes off his shock long enough to apologize profusely. "Sheppard, I had no way of knowing, no warning at all. He looks, looked, human. How did my people not sense that was a Wraith?"

Sheppard stands back up from checking on and congratulating his niece, who is beaming proudly up at both him and Ronon. Shaking his head as he speaks, "I don't know, Halling, but we'll run tests on the body and see what we can find out."

One of the Marines puts in a call for a gurney to transport the body to the labs.

Ronon reaches down, ruffling Atiya's hair when she stands back up from cleaning her blade on the body and he winks at her when she looks up at him again.

She giggles and then slides her knife back into its sheath.

"How many more hidden Wraith might there be among those now with my people?" The color drained from Halling's face at that thought and he asked, "Might I request permission to return immediately and warn my people of this new danger?"

"I'll have to ask you to wait a little bit, I'd like to put a team together and go back with you." He looks over at Woolsey, who is being helped to his feet by Ronon, "I'm taking my niece with us, since she seems to sense these disguised Wraith just fine."

Woolsey nods, still too shaken to form a coherent sentence and is surprised when Atiya moves in front of him.

"Are you all right, Mr. Woolsey? I'm sorry I knocked you down, but the vampire was about to try to eat you." She looks up at him, so earnestly wanting him to believe her and show the man respect like her Uncle John wants.

For the first time, Richard smiles at the girl and says, "Thank you for saving my life, Atiya. A few bruises are more than a fair exchange for getting to live long enough to see another day. Be careful when you go offworld, I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you." He holds his hand out to the child who beams up at him and shakes his proffered hand with both of her own.

Smiling impishly as she replies, "I will," before skipping over to her Uncle and coming into the already started conversation there.

"And this is her," John says with a laugh, picking her up to sit on his hip. "Atiya, this is my friend Halling, the one who took over leadership of Teyla's people when she stepped down."

She waves with a little, "Hello," and looks excitedly at her uncle, "I get to go with you and kill more vampires?"

Laughing out loud, "Yeah kiddo, you do, but this kind is called the Wraith. Now because this kind usually carries guns that would even hurt you, something I do NOT want to happen, what I mostly want you to do is quietly tell me and my men who all the Wraith are so that we can lure them away from everybody else before we take 'em out. You know, make sure no innocent people get hurt, that sort of thing. Do you think you can do that?" He tweaks the end of her nose, easily avoiding her half hearted attempt to bat his hand away.

"Yes," the child agrees fervently with an obvious shiver of excitement.

Halling looks surprised by this exchange and asks, "I would never have thought it possible. You say the child is what is called a 'slayer' among her people?"

John looks back at Halling from grinning at the girl, "Yeah, but you're to keep that completely to yourself, understand? I don't want everyone, anyone else to know about her abilities. I only told you because you're both a friend and you saw her in action." The look he gives the other man brooks no argument on this point.

Blinking for a moment, the Athosian nods his head, "A trust I vow that I will not break," he nods his head at both Sheppard and the girl in his arms.

Major Lorne walks up at this point, checking over his Barrett CQC (Close Quarters Combat) .50 caliber rifle. "Ready when you are, sir."

Handing Atiya over to Ronon who puts her on his shoulders, he says, "Give me a minute, Major and we'll be all set. Everybody know the plan?" Another Marine hands over Sheppard's gear, waiting for him to put everything on before handing the Colonel's Barrett to him.

He gets a chorus of grunted affirmatives from the twenty-one gathered Marines.

Looking at Chuck on the upper level, Sheppard orders, "Dial it up" The gate activates and they prepare to step through.

Lorne growls out, "Let's go!"

A loud shout of, "Ooh rah!" answers him.

Sheppard looks over at his second in command and grumbles, "I hate you."

Lorne grins back, "That's not hate, sir. That's envy."

Ronon and Atiya laugh out loud as they all go through the gate.

Author's Note: That last exchange was suggest by Tjin. Marines only truly respect a fellow Marine. They can like and even respect an officer of another branch of the military, but their greatest respect is given only to their own.


	6. Ahoy the city!

Ahoy the city!

Author's Note: Bringing in another crossover here and I hope you all like it. This is unbeta'd, however, so please forgive any and all mistakes. Feel free to point them out, however and I'll do my best to correct them. ;)

Atlantis personnel got a huge surprise that evening as the sun was setting. A ship, a three masted war galleon with 128 guns AND a tri-barrel runner gun at the bow just appeared, rising up out of the sea. Weirder yet, someone started calling out from the rigging, in English, trying to get anyone on the city/ship's attention.

"Ahoy the city! Hey, is anybody home?" A one eyed pirate in a Hawaiian shirt yelled at the top of his lungs.

Inside the control room, Woolsey was looking at the monitors over Chuck's shoulder and went pale at the sight. Gulping audibly, "Please tell me that we're recording this so that Stargate Command won't think we're insane when we send in our reports?"

The gate tech stared in shock, but nodded his head, "Yes sir, the recordings started automatically when that strange green flash appeared in the sunset. McKay set up the computers to record when anything beyond the norm happens."

Woolsey's tone was grim, "Good. Now I suppose we ought to go out to meet our… Guests, hadn't we?"

John Sheppard and company come back through the gate from offworld, the Marines tossing Atiya to each other and cheering her name.

Lorne leaned over to stage whisper to his CO, "I think my Marines have grown attached. Can we keep her, sir?"

Ronon chimed in with, "I vote yes!"

John laughs and is about to reply when someone cleared their throat and got his and everyone else's attention.

"No, Major Lorne," Woolsey stated solemnly, "I'm afraid your men will have to be disappointed."

At these words, Atiya scrambled down and ran to her uncle, clinging to the man tightly. "Uncle John, you won't let the IOA people take me away from you, will you? You promised Papa you'd take care of me!"

Sheppard ignored everything else to look the child in the eyes, "Atiya, the only people who will EVER take you away from me are your parents, _when_ they come to get you. I don't care who tries to order otherwise, you're staying with family and in this galaxy that's me."

Smiling and hugging the man around his neck she whispers, "I love you, Uncle John."

Hugging her back almost as tightly, he whispers back, "I love you too, munchkin."

Ronon growled and The Marines around them all glare at Woolsey until the man shakes his head in exasperation, "The IOA isn't ordering the child be taken away from you, Colonel, but we do have guests that have shown up in an unusual manner. I thought you might like to know they're in the cafeteria getting a bite to eat while they wait for your return."

Surprisingly, Atiya clung to John even tighter than before, almost afraid to believe what the man's words suggested. She and her uncle exchanged a glance and without a word he carried her straight to the cafeteria.

Once there, John took one look at his little brother, without his wife, and worried. Atiya felt him tense up and hid her face in his neck, even more afraid to look.

It must have been obvious what was going through their minds because Xander spoke up, "It's all right, everyone is fine back home, just healing up is all."

Gasping with relief, Atiya loosened her grip and looked her uncle in the eyes, saw him smile with reassurance and jumped out of his arms into a backflip and a bound to land in her beloved Papa's arms once more. "I missed you so much!"

Hugging his little girl for all he's worth, Xander tells her, "I missed you too, Princess."

The man sitting nearby stood up.

He was dressed like a pirate, John finally noticed and wondered about that.

The man spoke with a soft voice and a smooth, British accent, "I take it this is Atiya then? I can see why you were so desperate to get back to her, Xander."

John can't hold in his curiosity any longer, "Who's your friend, Little Brother?"

The stranger answered him instead, "And you must be John. I must say I'm proud of how you've turned out in this my own universe and in this one. Unfortunately, in mine you died, several years ago. It was a hero's death though, to be fair, but I was hoping for more grandchildren from your line."

John blinked, "What?


	7. Getting to Know You

Getting to know you

Author's note: Okay, since my last attempt at this chapter wasn't understood, I've tried a little rewrite. Let me know if this clears things up for you, okay?

Later on, in the cafeteria…  
Ronon is asking, "So you're Sheppard's Grandfather, from many generations ago and you can't be killed because you're already dead?"

Will laughs, "Yes I am, and no, not exactly." He looks at his granddaughter in his lap and watches with a smile as she admires his sword, going so far as to test its edge on a nearby empty chair.

Ronon shakes his head at the sight, then he looks at John with a big grin on his face, "Your family is weird, but I like them!"

Rodney snarks, "Oh please, this is ludicrous! How are we supposed to believe any of this when you can't prove it?"

Xander chuckles, "Just chalk it up to magic, big mouth."

John and Ronon exchanged the briefest of glances and the big man put one hand over the scientist's mouth and the other on his shoulder before he could say another word. They'd heard all the ranting they'd cared to from Rodney on that subject, long before this.

Xander grins unrepentantly at his big brother's glare.

John huffed with laughter over how quickly his little brother had learned to bait McKay and get him worked up. Finished with their meal, he stood and offered a hand to the one eyed man who still looked very tired from his ordeal back home. "Let's get you to bed. You look like you could sleep for twenty-four hours straight."

Groaning as he stands, Xander replies, "I feel like I could sleep for a week!" Turning to their grandfather, he asks, "Are you sure you can't stay longer, Gramps?"

Taking his sword back from Atiya and sheathing it, Will stands also, picking the girl up and planting her on his hip as he does. Sighing audibly, "I'm afraid so. My crew and I have a job to do back home and we'd best get back to it. Do please come out to sea for a chat once in a while, won't you, Xander? I'd love to get the chance to get to know this little darling better." He indicated Atiya by bouncing her off his hip, up in his arms so that she flipped upside down and over onto his back, making her laugh.

"I will," Xander shook the proffered hand, grinning at his daughter's beaming face as she wrapped her arms around her grandfather's neck.

"Your grandmother, Elizabeth would have loved your Atiya, I have no doubt." He patted the little arms encircling his neck.

Will turned to Sheppard, "John, it's been a pleasure to meet you and to tour this lovely city ship of yours. Would you mind if I dropped in now and then to check up on you?"

Teyla stifled a laugh at the brief smirk on her team leader's face at that question. By this point, all of them knew how much of a headache it would give Woolsey.

"Please do," John got out with a mostly straight face before grinning from ear to ear.

Once out at the pier the Flying Dutchman had docked at, Xander turned to Will once more and said, "Oh and hey, thanks again for the lift here. Please thank Callisto for me, too, would you? It was great of her to allow us to borrow you for a while."

Chuckling as he saw Ronon silence McKay once more, Will nodded, "You're welcome and consider it done. Though I believe thanks should also go to your wife, Ibuin. She and Callisto are longtime friends, after all."

~*~

After Turner and the Flying Dutchman had gone, the rest of the group split up. Rodney went back to his lab in a huff over being silenced, Teyla to her quarters, and Ronon to spar with a couple of Marines. John, Xander and Atiya all headed back to John's quarters.

"So, little brother, can you tell me why in God's name you picked out such a horrible shirt?" Sheppard asks with a smirk at Xander's put upon expression.

"Hey! I was ordered to come here for vacation, so I dressed appropriately," the younger man insisted with a wounded air.

Atiya giggles, "Don't worry, Papa, I like your colorful shirts."

Swooping the girl up in his arms while she shrieks with laughter, Xander tells her, "Thank you, baby. At least you love me."

John laughs as he leads the way inside.


	8. Bright Ideas

The Janus Orb chpt 8

Chapter 8

Later in John's quarters…

"Are you sure it's okay? We don't have to take your bed, you know." Xander kept one hand behind his daughter's head as they walk into his brother's quarters. Atiya, like many children, had been chattering one moment and then gone limp with sleep the next.

John waves off his brother's objections, "It's okay. Mine's a double, big enough for the two of you while hers is only single, perfect for just me. I wouldn't want her to wake up in the night and think she'd dreamed you coming back."

Both smiled indulgently at the sound asleep girl in Xander's arms. The father felt guilty for having to leave her for so long, knowing she'd worry. Earlier she'd told him of the Wraith and her adventure offworld with her Uncle John, Uncle Ronon and the Marines, so he knew she'd had a full day before he'd even arrived with her grandfather.

John appeared to think of something as he pulled back the covers of the bed, "Not that I'm trying to get rid of you or anything, but are you sure people won't get worried if you don't hurry back?"

Carefully placing Atiya on the bed and tucking her in, Xander answers, "I have strict orders from Ibuin to spend some time getting to know my big brother better. She's said it's shameful that our daughter knows you much better by now than we do."

Chuckling quietly at that, John tells him, "Well tomorrow will be soon enough for that. Get some sleep, little brother and we'll talk in the morning."

Two days later…

John, Xander and Atiya were in the cafeteria grabbing breakfast. Teyla and Rodney were already there waiting for them, along with Ronon and Lorne. The last two had been having running discussions with Xander on new ways to deal with the Wraith that hadn't been used before.

Half an hour later everyone was finishing up their meals and Xander was saying, "They took claymores apart and wrapped each individual bearing in tinfoil or aluminum packets filled with thermite. They then put magnesium across the explosive charge so that when the claymore blew, it would fire off FLAMING ball bearings that would eat through a TANK."

Lorne's mouth dropped open. He looked at Sheppard, "Can you imagine what that would do to a Wraith Hive ship, sir?"

Ronon's grin was huge and his eyes gleamed with a manic light, "I am!"

John wrinkled his nose in disgust, "I'd rather not while I'm eating, thanks. Great idea though.


End file.
